Dear Friend ,
if you are not a
Member of KCSMW

Dear Friend ,

Message from KCS Entertainment Team

On behalf of the KCS entertainment committee, I would like to extend my greetings for a very exciting and a prosperous 2012. Over the years, KCS entertainment has evolved into a well-oiled entertainment machine going above and beyond the expectations of the malayalee community. The feedback from the community has been very positive and encouraging. With that said, I would like to take this time to congratulate last year’s entertainment team of Jinesh Koluparmbil and Vrinda Suresh for an outstanding 2011. They have set a high standard and it is definitely going to be a tough act to follow and hope we deliver yet another year of fabulous entertainment.

For the year 2012, our goal is to keep the momentum going and to come up with more innovative ideas and standout performances. Let’s make this another memorable year of entertainment in the history of KCS. I am proud to be part of a team of talented individuals whose vision and commitment to world class entertainment is highly commendable. They are willing to explore the uncharted territories and take the entertainment to new heights. We have completed the ground work for a very colorful and exciting Summer Dreams 2012 and hope we are able to meet your expectations. As always, your support and participation is what really keeps us going. Please feel free to contact us with your valuable suggestions at entertainment@kcsmw.org.

Hope to see you on May 12th, 2012 for “Summer Dreams 2012”. Please visit www.kcsmw.org for more information.

Sincerely,

Anil Chandran

KCS Entertainment Team.

KCSMW – Summer Dreams 2012 on May 12th

When : May 12th SAT , 2012

Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington is once again getting ready for the biggest celebration in spring with Summer Dreams on May 12th, 2012. We are planning a fun filled evening of cultural events comprising of melodious music and electrifying dances by none other than our local talents. On behalf of the KCS entertainment team, we would like to invite you to be part of this cultural extravaganza. As always your participation is what's important in making this event a grand success. So come on board and let's get started! Let's make this another Unforgettable KCS event!!

Please contact us at :

Name	Phone
Anil Chandran	301-346-3188
Bindu Rajeev	571-420-9370
Vijayeta Nambiar	571-723-3263
Zeba Naveed	202-375-1822
Rajalakshmi Shankar	410-997-7121
Sindhu Elakara	301-648-4828

Articles for “VARTHA 2012” magazine

Dear Friends,

The poem that you penned in a moment of inspiration, the ingenious article you wrote on your blog, or the storyline that you have been dreaming of developing into a full-length movie treatment. Here’s an opportunity to see them in print! Put them down in a Word file - keep them short, 3 to 4 pages double spaced - and send it to us at editor@kcsmw.org by June 15th. We will consider them for publication in the 2012 edition of the Kerala Cultural Society’s annual magazine, 'Vartha', which will be published during our upcoming Onam program - Utsav 2012.

The cultural programs KCS conduct throughout the year provide a forum for community members, particularly the young, to develop their artistic talent. Through Vartha, KCS aims to provide a venue for literary expression. We welcome essays, poems, short stories, or opinion pieces, in Malayalam or English.

We encourage creative works from children. Scan and send us the breathtaking painting your son or daughter drew in her art class.

Email contributions to editor@kcsmw.org, deadline: June 15, 2012.

The KCS Editorial Team

KCS Kalari – Malayalam and Cultural awareness class – March 2012 dates

Please see the date and time for Malayalam and Cultural Awareness Program (KCS Kalari) for the Month of March 2012. Germantown, MD

Classes will be held at Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Rd. Germantown, MD 20874, on March 3rd and March 17th from 1.00 PM to 3.00 PM. Please contact Beena Tomy at beenatomy@gmail.com
Columbia, MD

Classes will be held at Columbia Miller Library, Howard County Library System, 9421 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City MD 21042, on Saturday Mar 31st 10-12PM. Please contact Anil Nair at snairanil@gmail.com
Centreville, VA

Classes will be held at Centreville Public Library, 14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, VA 20121, on Sunday, Mar 11th and Mar 25th from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Please contact Manju Teji at kcskalariofva@gmail.com

Prior registration is required for Germantown and Centerville location since there are only few seats available. To register for this class or get further details, please send an email education@kcsmw.org or contact the following team members: Anil Nair – (443) 822 4828; snairanil@gmail.com Beena Tomy - (301) 801 6698; beenatomy@gmail.com Manju Teji - (703) ; kcskalariofva@gmail.com

The American Thriller Express – Jagadeesh / Venugopal show on May 19th

When : : May 19th SAT 6:30 PM

Where : Herndon High School auditorium, 700 Bennett Street, Herndon, VA 20170

Presented by : St. Jude Syro Malabar Catholic Mission of Northern VA, Chantilly

Stars : , Venugopal, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Asiant Vodafone comedy stars Team VIP, Mithra Kurian, Anoop Shankar .

Contact : Fr. Joseph Elamparayil 703-999-4179 , Paul Pottanatt 703-790-1933 , Jilson Joseph 703-599-6748 , Regi Alexander 703-636-1995.

St. Jude Church of Northern Virginia extend heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to all committed sponsors of the much anticipated fund raising event - ‘ The American Thriller Express Show’, a cultural event that showcases Indian music, dances and comedy. The event will be hosted on May 19th 2012 at 6.pm at Herndon High School Auditorium, 700 Bennett St, Herndon, VA 20170. The event showcases famous movie stars from Kerala, India and includes over 3 hours of nonstop programming..

How to purchase ticket for the event? Tickets for the event are available now for various rates starting from $25-$350 per person. For reserving your seats, firstly view the Seating Chart on the church website (www.stjudenva.org/st-jude-capital-campaign ), identify the available seats that you would like to reserve. Then send an email request to ticket@stjudeNVA.org with the Seat Numbers and the contact information. You may contact any of the council members for payment arrangements. Checks shall be written as payable to “St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission”. You will then receive an email confirmation, if the requested tickets are available. Printed ticket will be either handed over to you personally or mailed to you.

How to sponsor the event? There are two kinds of sponsorship- Personal and Business. Almost all community members have made their pledges for personal sponsorship. For Business Sponsorship, we have some business sponsorship; however we are still looking for more business sponsorship. For more details about sponsorship package and its benefits; please visit our church website event details page (www.stjudenva.org/archives/ai1ec_event/the-american-thriller-express?instance_id=52). Sponsorship packages also can be customized based on the need of the sponsor. If you would like to sponsor or know a potential sponsor, Please contact Sujith Abraham/ Regi Jose/ any of the Council members or email to Sponsorship@StJudeNVA.org. Please visit “Upcoming Events” section of www.stjudenva.org/ to know more about this event details, including St Jude capital campaign sponsorship proposals and sponsorship committee contact information

Tribute to music director Bombay Ravi

Noted music director Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly known as Bombay Ravi, has passed away at his residence in Mumbai on March 7th. He was 86. He was under prolonged treatment for illness. A well-known figure in Bollywood, Ravi has gifted nearly 90 songs in Malayalam too. He started his music journey by singing ‘Vande Matharam’ in Anandmath and had Vachan (1954) as his first film as a music director. Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Do Badan, Humraz, Ankhen, Nikah, Gharana, Khandan, Waqt, Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya, Neel Kamal and Gumrah are some of the major ones he scored music for in the list of nearly 250 Hindi films. He had won Filmfare awards for Gharana and Khandan. His special interest proved vital in shaping Mahendra Kapoor as a popular singer in Bollywood. He had won the national award for music in Sukrutham and Parinayam.

He was introduced in Malayalam by director Hariharan in Panchagni (1986). The film scripted by M T Vasudevan Nair was an instant hit and the two songs ‘Saaganarangale.... and ‘Aa Raathri maanju poy,’ penned by ONV contributed much to the success. The team joined once again in Nakhashatangal. The songs formed the backbone of the film. He continued to repeat the magic with Malayalam lyrics in Vaishali by Bharathan and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha by Hariharan. His music literally conquered Kerala in the beginning of nineties with the songs in Sargam, almost an year before its release. “Pravahame, Krishnakrupa sagaram, Sangeethame, Kannadiyadyamayen” had lured Malayalis for nearly a decade.

He won the state award for the same film in 1992. Ravi’s Malayalam compositions were unique in style as he tried to weave them in Carnatic ragas. Malayali audience never considered him as an outsider as his songs blended the typical Malayali flavour. His songs in 14 films, including Ghazal, Vidyarambham, Padheyam, Parinayam, Sukrutham and Mayookham (2005) are some of the all-time favorites of Malayali community worldwide.

Tribute to NSS President Mr. P.K. Narayana Panicker

P K Narayana Panicker, president of Nair Service Society and a dominant public figure in Kerala for the last several decades, died at his residence at Changanassery on February 29th.

He was 82 and had been keeping indifferent health for quite some time, sources said. Panicker, who headed the powerful community organization with grass root level network and educational institutions all through the state, headed NSS for nearly three decades after he took over as General Secretary in 1983. Last year, he stepped down as general secretary of NSS and became its president. A lawyer by profession, Panicker had spearheaded several legal battles and public campaigns for income-based reservations in jobs and admissions in place of community-based quota system. Panicker also headed the now defunct political wing of the NSS, National Democratic Party. The party was a partner in the UDF before it was disbanded in the 1990s. Leaders from all political parties and community organizations said Kerala had lost an eminent public figure at the death of Panicker.

Cherry blossoms to bloom early !

Rob DeFeo, chief horticulturalist at the National Park Service, predicts an early peak for this year’s Centennial cherry blossom bloom at the Tidal Basin. DeFeo, speaking at a press conference at Newseum, said he expects peak bloom to occur between March 24 and 31. The average bloom date is around April 1. Peak bloom is defined as the day on which 70 percent of the blossoms are open.

Unseasonably warm weather for much of the winter has led to “a lot of speculation” about the bloom date, DeFeo said. But the 3rd warmest December to February period on record in Washington, D.C has little bearing on the bloom dates, he said.

NSGW Upcoming Events and news

Please see the following upcoming events of NSGW (Nair Society of Greater Washington)

“Basics of Essay Writing” on March 18th

When: March 18th Sunday 4 PM – 5 PM
Where: Chantilly library, 4000 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA 20141
Please Email NSGW Kids program co-ordinator Rani Nair at rani.nair@citi.com if you have any questions.

Family Fun Night on March 31st

When: March 31st 7 PM to 10 PM
Where: Vienna Community Center

VISHU 2012 on April 21st

When: April 21st 2012 11 AM

Parampara 2012 – annual magazine

As you know, NSGW is celebrating Vishu on April 21, 2012. We are releasing another edition of 'PARAMPARA' as part of the celebrations. We are looking for your support, we ask that you contribute to the souvenir via advertisement/articles/family pictures to make this publication and celebration a success. We also encourage the younger generations to take part in this as well. As we continue to focus on charitable aspects, the funds received from the souvenir will provide scholarships to needy children back in Kerala. Our first student who received this scholarship graduated in 2010, his education was fully funded by way of NSGW. Please submit your entries to editor@nsgw.info

Family get together Trip on May 26 – May 27th

NSGW is planning to organize a Family get together trip. Please join on a trip to Virginia Beach on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-27, 2012. We are planning to organize a luxury coach for the travel and identify a hotel with discount rate where we all can stay. Please block your calendar.
When: May 26-27, 2012
Where: Virginia Beach
Transport: Luxury coach
Please let us know if you are interested in joining the trip along with other NSGW family members before March 1st. Your reply is required for planning. Please send your ideas and suggestions to ravisar@gmail.com

Financial Assistance for Students

NSGW is currently accepting applications to provide financial assistance for students in their educational needs. The student needs to be currently enrolled in a program that leads to a professional degree. As has been the practice for the last few years, we are providing each of the successful candidates.
· $500 scholarship payment for applicants on professional degree courses (such as engineering, MBBS, MBA etc.)
· $250 scholarship payment for applicants on regular degree courses (BSc, BE, BCom etc.)
for the calendar year2012. Based on current scholarship funds, we are looking to provide financial assistance to one or more students for this year. The criteria for applying for this scholarship and eligibility are determined, based on the details provided on the following link. http://nsgw.info/buttons/nsgwscholarshipform.pdf
If you know of students needing financial assistance in India, then please pass on their info to NSGW at the earliest. For any additional details or to send your applications, please contact NSGW Scholarship Director Biju Pillai at 703-989-5414 or email to biju95@gmail.com

Mr Vijay Kumar selected as religious leader for US forces, Afghanistan

Mr. Vijay Kumar (Mr. HariOm Vijay Kumar as we all know him) has been appointed as a Religious Lay Leader for Hindu Services to the United States Armed forces and Coalition Forces, under NATO Training Mission- Afghanistan. Following a 3 board member interview and upon reviewing the reference letters from Captain Pratima Dharm, U.S. Army, Hindu Chaplain, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C, and from Swami Dheerananda, Resident Acharya of CMWRC, CAPTAIN John Adams, U.S. Navy, Chaplain Camp Eggers, submitted nomination for Mr. Vijay Kumar to become the Distinctive Faith Group Leader (DFGL) for Hindu Services for U.S. Forces, Afghanistan. The nomination was endorsed by COL David Smith, U.S. Army, Command Chaplain and was submitted for approval to COL Brian Prosser, U.S. Army, Chief of Staff, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. The appointment is for 12 month period, and as a Lay Leader, Mr. Vijay Kumar will be conducting vedanta study classes and religious worships for members of Hindu faith as well as others who are interested to learn about Hinduism. As we all know, he is a great orator and has been participating in all our Bhajana events, conducting Subhashitam, telling stories to children. He has also been teaching Hindu philosophy including Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads, for the last 25 years in Washington D.C.

Mr. Vijay Kumar is an Electronic Engineer, working for Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) under the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and is currently on 1 year assignment as Senior Advisor under Ministry of Defense Advisor (MODA) program for NATO Training Mission- Afghanistan (NTM-A) Combined Security Systems Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) and has been assigned to ACG-PD/DCOM-P/P6, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division.

Manishi 2nd national Drama Competition on Apr 28th

When: Apr 28th SAT 3 PM

Where: Benchamin Franklin Auditorium , Teaneck, NJ

Manishi second national drama competition will be held in Teaneck, NJ on April 28th. This is being coordinated by New Jersey Kerala Cultural Forum. There will be eight dramas this year. Please see the details below:

KHNA 2012 Scholarships

For the last few years KHNA (Kerala Hindus of North America) has provided scholarships to hundreds of children in our community. This has been made possible through the generous donations of beloved KHNA Supporters. Last year, generous donations helped us to provide 85 scholarships. Without such generosity and support this would not have been made possible.This year our goal is to raise 100 scholarships. We hope to give our children this advantage in life. We hope you will join us in reaching our fundraising goals. We feel that providing educational support to financially under privileged students with a structured reputed team and environment helps to make them to achieve the goals of better education and future.

In our community we have many thousands of financially disadvantaged students. We would like to provide at least 100 of them with the opportunity to have a better education and brighter future. KHNA funding is limited and there is a large amount of gear that is required to make this possible without your support we will not be able to offer this opportunity to the students who need it most.

If you can support ($250 per year for 4 years) for one or more individuals that would be greatly appreciated, however, we will also gladly accept sponsors who are able to give less than the full amount for one child.

Please see list of 198 eligible Students information and 43 Renewal students List as well . http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1104169690234-66/KHNA+Renewal+Scholarship.pdf

Mr. Anandan Niravel - President 954-675-3019 , Mr. Anil Pillai - BOT Chair @ 847-471-5379
Mr. Harikrishnan Namboodiri - KHNA Scholarship Committee Chair @ 956-243-1043

FOMAA 2012 Convention at SEA on Aug 1-6 @ Carnival Glory

When: August 1-6, 2012

Where: Carnival Glory, boarding in New York on August 1st

FETNA 2012 – Silver Jubilee Convention

When: July 6 – July 8th

Where: Baltimore Convention center, Baltimore, MD

During July 4th weekend [July 6-8 because July 4th falls on Wednesday], Washington DC/Baltimore, MD, is going to bristle with activities of glamour, grandeur and color. For the last 24 years, Federation of Tamil Sangams (Associations) of North America called FeTNA, an umbrella organization for nearly 40 local Organizations, presents a Mega event each year in a different state and city where Tamils of North America congregate, celebrate their culture, recognize community achievements, organize professional forums, enjoy Music, Dance, Literature and Theater performances, rejoice meeting Golly wood( South Indian movie) artists, film and music directors, eminent speakers/poets, soap opera stars from India. The locals also get to show case their talent in this 3-day-mega Event.

This is one of the biggest Tamil Conventions ever hosted by Tamils of North America in Maryland history. FETNA is a non-profit, nonpartisan, literary, cultural organization and attracts nearly 2000 Tamils each year. It’s an opportunity for the diaspora Tamils for reunions of their alumni, native villages and cities, relatives, friends and other special interest groups. In 2012, it will be the Silver Jubilee Convention for FeTNA with an anticipated attendance of 5,000 Tamils from all over North America. Do you call this a Convention? Carnival? Cultural fare? Well everything. Everyone has something to look forward to.

FOKANA 2012 Convention

When: June 30th – July 3rd

Where: Crown Plaza, Houston, TX

KCCNA 2012 convention

When: July 26th - July 29th (Knanaya Catholic Congress of North America)

Where: 9939 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL

Zakir Hussain & Masters of Percussion on Mar 17th

When: March 17th, 3PM

Where: The John F. Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20566

Classical tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain is an international phenomenon both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large. Widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Zakir's unique contribution to world music has featured historic collaborations, including recordings and performances with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Airto Moreira, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, Mark Morris, Rennie Harris, and the Kodo Drummers. His music and extraordinary contribution to the music world were honored in 2009 with four widely-heralded and sold-out concerts in Carnegie Hall's Perspectives series

Star Singer USA Junior 2012

Gulam Ali - Live in concert on Mar 16th

When: March 16th 8 PM

Where: : Holiday Inn, 1500 E Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176

Syro Malabar national Convention 2012

When: July 26th – July 29th

Where: Georgia International Convention Center, Atlanta, GA

Obituary

With profound grief and sadness, we announce the demise of Mr Thomas Mattathiparambil (father of Jose Thomas) on Wednesday February 22nd at Neerikkad , Kottayam at the age of 87. Kerala Cultural Society conveys our deep felt condolence to all the family members. Let us pray for the departed soul and keep Jose Thomas and family in our prayers during this difficult time. Funeral was held on February 26th at Lourde Matha church Neerikkad , Kottayam.

It is with deep regret and sorrow we inform you that, on February 27. 2012 around 3:15PM, Julia Samuel, beloved daughter of Sunil and Sibi Samuel and grand daughter of Late P.V. Samuel, at the age of 6yrs and 1 months has departed this earthly life to be with Her Father in Heaven. Kerala Cultural Society conveys our deep felt condolences to all family members. We are praying for the eternal peace of the soul and for the strength of the bereaved family.

We are deeply saddened to inform you that Sri. Edat Mani Philip (83), father of Mrs. Reena Philip passed away in Lissy Hospital, Kochi, Kerala on Sunday afternoon 12.30pm IST after fighting illness for couple of weeks. Reena is already in India with her family. The funeral was on March 11th 4.00pm IST at the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church, East Nattassery, Kottayam. Reena could be reached at philipreena@yahoo.com or +91-95670-46555 We convey our heartfelt sympathies to the family and pray to God to give them the strength to bear this great loss. Please keep the family in your prayers

Bharatanatyam recitals by Nrityananda school

March 10, 2012
Holi Mela : Bharatanatyam Performance
Durga Temple, 8400 Durga Place Fairfax Station, VA 22039

March 17, 2012
IIS Holi Mela : Bharatanatyam Performance
India International School, 4433 Brookfield Corporate Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151

March 25, 2012 5:40 - 6:40 PM
Local Talent Series : Bharatanatyam PerformanceSri Shiva Vishnu Temple, 6905, Cipriano Road, Lanham MD 20706

April 6, 2012 2:45 - 3:15 PM
Cherry Blossom Festival : Bharatanatyam Performance, Sylvan Theater, on the grounds of the Washington Monument (Corner of 15th St. & Independence Ave. SW)

Ishq 2012 – Ghazal Maestro Jaswinder Singh – on April 6th

When: April 6th 2012, 7 PM

Where: Sheraton Tyson, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182

Ekal Vidyalaya – musical evening with Bollywood stars on Mar 17th

When: March 17th, 6 PM

Where: F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, MD 20851

KCS Editorial Team

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